UN: Over 1,000 civilians killed in paramilitary's April attack on Sudan displacement camp

KHARTOUM - More than 1,000 civilians were killed over three days of attacks by Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces on the Zamzam displacement camp in North Darfur in April, according to a United Nations report released Thursday.

"At least 1,013 civilians were killed during the offensive from April 11 to 13," the report from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) said, pointing to a "consistent pattern" of serious violations of international humanitarian law and gross abuses of human rights law.

Of those killed, 319 were summarily executed, either in the camp or while trying to flee. Others were killed in their homes during house-to-house searches, as well as in the main market, schools, health facilities, and mosques.

The report also documented widespread conflict-related sexual violence. At least 104 survivors, including 75 women, 26 girls, and three boys, mostly from the Zaghawa ethnic group, were subjected to severe sexual abuse, including rape, gang rape, and sexual slavery, both during the attack and along escape routes.

In the months leading up to the assault, the RSF imposed a strict siege on Zamzam, cutting off food, water, fuel, and other essential supplies, and targeting those attempting to deliver aid. Some families were forced to feed their children animal feed to survive.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said such attacks could amount to war crimes.

"Deliberate killing of civilians or persons hors de combat may constitute the war crime of murder," Turk said. He called for an impartial, thorough, and effective investigation into the Zamzam attack, noting that those responsible for serious violations must be held accountable through fair proceedings.

"These horrific violations, committed with impunity, are consistent with what my office has repeatedly documented, including during the RSF takeover of El Fasher in late October," Turk said. He described the findings as a "stark reminder" of the urgent need to break cycles of atrocities, ensure accountability, and provide reparations to victims.

Turk renewed his call for all states to act to prevent crimes under international law and to pressure parties to end the violence, in Darfur, Kordofan, and beyond. He also urged halting the supply, sale, or transfer of arms that fuel the conflict, as well as sustained diplomatic efforts to achieve a cease-fire and a lasting resolution.

The report is based on OHCHR monitoring, including interviews conducted in July 2025 with 155 survivors and witnesses in eastern Chad.

Sudan has been engulfed in conflict since April 15, 2023, when fighting erupted between the Sudanese Armed Forces and the RSF, leaving tens of thousands dead and millions displaced within the country and across its borders.